It's Your Fault
by Femslash Fetale
Summary: None of the lights were on; she wanted it to be dark when Greg entered so that there would be an ominous atmosphere. The point was, she wasn't able to see much of Steven until now. She wasn't able to see... Pearl snatched Steven away from his father. "What happened to him!"


A/N: I find Pearl and Greg's relationship to be the most interesting. They both clearly loved Rose deeply, and her departure probably caused some sort of shift in their relationship. I just really wanna know how well (or not) these two get on.

It's Your Fault

He was late.

Pearl glanced at the clock again, tapping her foot impatiently. This was the third night in a row that Greg was late bringing Steven back home. Before it was by less than fifteen minutes, so she let it slide, but now he was thirty seven-.

Peal glanced at the clock again.

-thirty _eight_ minutes late. She would have to give him a stern talking to. This was detrimental to Steven's development. All of the parenting books Pearl had read said that Earth children needed structure and rules. That included a set schedule and bed time.

"If I have to fight to get him up in the morning..."

Pearl's discontented grumbling was interrupted by the creak of the front door opening. Greg quietly stepped inside of the house, a sleeping three year old in his arms. He stopped in his tracks once he saw Pearl, that dumb, sheepish smile oozing onto his face. "Oh, uh…hey Pearl."

Pearl folded her arms, adopting her best disapproving expression. "Hello, _Greg," _shesaid using her best disapproving tone to go along with the act. Her continued foot tapping completed the look of upset mother that she had seen portrayed in so many Earth television shows. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Uh..." Greg rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the clock to his right. "7:39?"

"That's right. And when were you supposed to bring Steven back?"

"...seven o'clock..."

"That's right. So, then, you're aware that you are late."

Greg averted his gaze to the floor. "Yeah..."

Pearl started to walk towards Greg, arms stretched out to take her charge. "Now you've thrown off his entire night schedule. I'll have to wake him up to change and brush his teeth. He won't be happy about that, not at-," Pearl stopped short once she was about a foot away from Greg and Steven. It was nearly winter, the sun was setting earlier and it was already dark outside. None of the lights were on; she wanted it to be dark when Greg entered so that there would be an ominous atmosphere. The point was, she wasn't able to see much of Steven until now. She wasn't able to see...

Pearl snatched Steven away from his father. "What happened to him?!"

There was a large, ugly bruise on the side of Steven's head. When Pearl brought her hand up to touch it she felt a rather large bump. Steven squirmed and whimpered in his sleep, obviously in pain. Pearl glared at Greg. "_What did you do?!"_

Greg held up his hands in surrender. "Quiet down," he whispered frantically. "You're going to wake him up."

Pearl narrowed her eyes. "I probably need to. He might have a concussion!"

"Pearl, calm down. Steven doesn't have a concussion."

"How would _you _know?"

"Okay, you're right, I wouldn't know. But seriously, Pearl, I just got him to sleep. If you wake him up he's just going to start crying again."

Pearl looked down at Steven. She hadn't felt any skull fractures, and aside from the nasty bump and bruise, he seemed fine. Pearl lowered her voice. "What happened?"

That damned smile again. "Well, we were playing tag in the car wash and he slipped on some soap and banged his head on the floor."

"Greg!"

Steven squirmed again, his eyelids fluttering.

Pearl sucked in a sharp, unneeded breath. She started to rock side to side the way she had seen Earth mothers do. He quickly settled down, drawing his thumb into his mouth. Pearl had tried breaking him of the habit, but he was stubborn.

Just like his mother.

Pearl glared at Greg. "Stay. Right. Here."

When she received a nod and a whispered promise to not make a move, she climbed the stairs to Steven's bedroom. She went over to his bed and lowered the protective bars she had Garnet install, gently placing him inside. She raised the bars, deciding that it wouldn't be that bad to miss _one_ night of dental hygiene. Pearl leaned down and slipped Steven's shoes off, also deciding that his loose shorts and T-shirt would be suitable pajamas. She would just wash his sheets in the morning.

Pearl took a moment to stare down at her baby boy. He was so tiny, so fragile. Gems were never babies or children. They came into being completely developed and somewhat mature. Pearl had never taken much time to interact with humans, especially the loud offspring. This was her first real experience with the dominant species of the planet Earth, and slowly Pearl was starting to see why Rose was willing to risk everything for them. They were so wonderfully unique. They possessed a certain something that Pearl just couldn't put her finger on, something that no Gem had. Maybe it was their ability to persevere despite their biological handicaps.

Or maybe it was just her desperation to somehow make Rose's...departure...worth anything.

Pearl steeled herself for the upcoming confrontation as she walked down the stairs. She walked right passed Greg, sparing him a glance that clearly meant he was expected to follow. They walked down to the beach right by the stairs, close enough that Pearl could hear Stevn if he woke up, but not close enough for their probable shouting to disturb him.

Greg was talking before Pearl could even get her thoughts together. "I know what you're thinking, Pearl, and I get it. No more playing in the car wash. From now on we'll just stick to my van, the beach and the house, okay? I'm really sorry."

Pearl crossed her arms. "Well, 'sorry' isn't going to," _bring her back _"make Steven feel better!"

"I know, I know. I wish I could go back in time and stop it from happening, but I can't!" _And then we wouldn't have Steven. _"...can I?"

Pearl rolled her eyes at his ignorance. "No, you can't."

"Oh. Well, if you put a cold pack on his head he'll be fine. He's a kid. Kids heal fast."

Pearl clenched her fists by her side. "He shouldn't have to heal!" _She should be safe, with me. _

Gregwas starting to get annoyed now. Pearl was blowing this way out of proportion. She never trusted him! "You know what, it's not my fault that," _she's gone_ "he fell! It was an accident!"

Pearl rolled her eyes. "Oh, how typical. Of course," _she always said "_itisn't your fault.You nevertake responsibility for," _what happened to her _"what happens to him. It's always an 'accident'."

Greg pulled at his thinning hair. "Pearl, it's not like I," _killed her _"pushed him! I said sorry, what else do you want from me?!"

Pearl was trembling with anger. "I want you to leave," _Rose_ "Steven alone."

Greg met Pearl's livid gaze with his own determined one. "You know I can't do that."_ I never could_.

They stared at each other for many long moments, both unwilling to back down in their conviction. Finally, Pearl broke, tears streaming down her face. The force of her grief and anguish hit her with unexpected force, causing her to drop to her knees and settle on her calves on the cool sand. _Why couldn't I stop her? Why couldn't I keep her?_ She tightened into a ball, her forehead pressed against her knees as vicious sobs racked through her body. _I should've done something._ She felt herself falling into despair. She was caving in on herself, collapsing, crumbling, breaking, _falling_-

There were large, soft arms around her.

For a moment she was hopeful. Maybe...

But no, it was Greg. It was _always Greg_.

Pearl felt moisture hit the back of her neck and she wondered if it was raining. Then she heard a broken voice whisper. "I miss her, too."

And in that moment Pearl realized that Greg loved Rose. He loved Rose and he loved Steven. They both did. It wasn't his fault, it wasn't Stevens fault, it wasn't her own fault.

It was _Rose's_ fault.

The feeling of hatred and abandonment left just as quickly as it came, leaving only emptiness. Pearl slightly turned her head, looking into eyes just as lost and dead as her own. In those eyes she saw only one spark, one reason to keep going.

Steven.

She couldn't take him away from Greg. Doing that would be as good as shoving her spear through his heart.

"I," her voice was raw and deep from her sobbing. "I didn't mean that." _It's not your fault. _"You can still see Steven." _It's not your fault. _

Greg gave her a small, appreciative smile, an almost imperceptible nod following. "Thank you." _Thank you. _

They weren't friends, they might not ever be any more than co-guardians, but in that moment that had an understanding.

It wasn't their fault.


End file.
